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In March 2023, the former Indian opener Virender Sehwag recounted a funny story featuring Sachin Tendulkar and the former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.
Back when India and Pakistan were not always at odds, their cricket stars had some good times together, even if things got wild sometimes. Yes, things has been tense after that 2025 terror attack, but there was a period where their cricket series made for awesome plays and funny stories. Like this one Sehwag told about Shoaib Akhtar, who got a little tipsy, and Sachin Tendulkar which ended in this funny story with some tension in it which had the 'Rawalpindi Express' being scared about his career.
The Lucknow party
There was this party in Lucknow for both the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams. Sehwag said Akhtar had a bit too much to drink and thought it would be cool to lift Sachin Tendulkar up on his shoulders. Akhtar was drunk and tried to pick up Tendulkar, Sehwag said on News 18 Chaupal. Turns out, Tendulkar was too heavy, and they both fell. Sehwag couldn't stop laughing.
Sehwag's jokes and Akhtar's panic
Akhtar was embarrassed by the fall, and Sehwag, being the prankster he is, teased him about it. I kept bugging him, saying his career was done because he dropped our best player, Sehwag said. Akhtar was really worried that Sachin would complain to the BCCI, which would mess up his career and stop him from coming to India. He was so desperate that he kept apologizing to Sachin and even bowed down to him. Sehwag said now Sachin and I still laugh about it.
Akhtar's view: I thought I was finished!
Akhtar also told his side of the story to SportsKeeda, saying he was super embarrassed and scared. I lifted him, but he slipped. Tendulkar didn't fall badly, just I thought 'I am dead', Akhtar said. He was worried if Sachin got hurt, he'd never get another visa to India, and Indians would not allow him to come back to the country. Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh even asked him what he thought he was doing. His response was “I don’t know, it just happened.”
This funny story shows how, back then, the India-Pakistan rivalry on the field chilled out with some real friendship off the field, leading to stories that still make people laugh today.